Sudan's Rival Generals

Sudan has been a nation plagued with conflict for decades, and the latest round of fighting between rival generals is no exception. The conflict has been escalating since the overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir in 2019, and the country is once again at a crossroads. Here is a simple guide to the fighting.

Background

Sudan is the third-largest country in Africa, with a population of over 40 million people. It is a diverse nation with over 100 ethnic groups, and it is located in the northeast corner of the continent, bordering the Red Sea, Egypt, Libya, Chad, South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Ethiopia.

The current conflict in Sudan began in 2019 when protests erupted in the capital, Khartoum, over rising fuel prices and the cost of living. The protests soon escalated into demands for the removal of President Omar al-Bashir, who had been in power for over 30 years. In April of that year, the military, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, ousted al-Bashir and established a transitional government.

Since then, the country has been in a state of political turmoil, with rival factions vying for control. The two main factions are the Transitional Military Council (TMC), led by al-Burhan, and the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC), a coalition of opposition groups.

The Rival Generals

The two rival generals currently battling for control in Sudan are General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemeti. Both generals were key players in the ousting of al-Bashir, and they have since been vying for control of the transitional government.

Al-Burhan is the chairman of the TMC, which is the ruling body in Sudan. He is a career military officer who rose through the ranks to become the commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces. After the ousting of al-Bashir, al-Burhan became the de facto leader of the transitional government.

Hemeti, on the other hand, is the deputy chairman of the TMC and the commander of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group that was previously known as the Janjaweed. The RSF has been accused of numerous human rights abuses in Sudan, including the killing of protesters and the rape of women.

The Conflict

The conflict between al-Burhan and Hemeti has been brewing for some time, but it came to a head in early April 2021 when the military arrested several high-ranking officials in the government, including the prime minister and other members of the FFC. The move was seen as an attempt by the military to consolidate power and sideline the civilian government.

The FFC responded by calling for mass protests, and the situation quickly escalated into violence. The military and the RSF were deployed to the streets of Khartoum, and clashes between protesters and security forces ensued. Dozens of people were killed, and hundreds more were injured.

The situation in Sudan remains tense, with both sides refusing to back down. The FFC is calling for the release of the arrested officials and the return of civilian rule, while the military is insisting that it has the right to govern the country until elections can be held.

International Response

The conflict in Sudan has drawn international attention, with many countries and organizations calling for an end to the violence and a return to civilian rule. The African Union, the United Nations, and the European Union have all condemned the military's actions and called for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

The United States and other Western countries have also expressed concern about the situation in Sudan, with some calling for sanctions against the military and others calling